Tampopo (Liang Court)

Sorry for the long delay! I've been eating way too much and posting way too little. :P Hopefully this makes up for it!

I went to Tampopo over a few months ago so unfortunately I can't really remember the specifics (sorry!)


The cutesy pig on the logo is supposed to represent the famed Black Pig ramen, which unfortunately, none of us tried. Maybe next time!

The restaurant itself is located at the basement of Liang Court, near the Japanese supermarket- a pretty low-key place that's a tad hard to get to. Nonetheless, it was pretty packed and noisy on the both occasions I visited- a Friday and Saturday night. Another good sign? The presence of lots of Japanese families and even some typical Japanese businessmen eating their ramen whilst reading Japanese newspapers.

The service was passable. Being a typical Japanese restaurant, we received the customary (and rather forced) greeting when we arrived, and were quickly seated and given menus. Service was rather prompt but don't expect anything fantastic.

What really impressed me was the sheer variety and size of the menu. Besides serving various types of ramen (including their special Black Pig variety), there were several types of Japanese curries (my favourite!), the ubiquitious katsu-dons and the like, as well as many dishes I have never even heard of. Naturally, I ordered the Ishiyaki Beef Curry, which came in a HUGE hot-pot with a yummy raw egg on top. My main gripe about the way Japanese curry is served is the fact that most restaurants are extremely stingy with the curry gravy. Some (e.g.: Ichiban Boshi) even attempt to charge you if you request for extra curry. No problems here – there was more than enough curry to coat the yummy, soft Japanese rice and the very generous serving of tender beef. Probably one of the best Japanese curry dishes I’ve ever had – totally scrumptious!

The best part about Tampopo is the fact that the quality of dessert matches (or even surpasses) the excellent main-courses. Unfortunately, the Scoop cake, arguably the best dessert at Tampopo, was sold out both times I visited (by around 8.30pm or earlier).

Must tries- the milk tea pudding (melt-in-the-mouth!) and the green tea ice-cream (the red beans complement the ocha perfectly). The sponge cakes are also pretty decent and not overly sweet.

Not surprisingly, we couldn't resist ordering 5 different types of dessert even after a very heavy meal!

Oh yes, I forgot to add- prices are also pretty decent- desserts were around $5 each and main-courses were pretty much under $15 for most dishes.


Verdict- definitely one of the better Japanese restaurants out there, especially if you're a dessert fan.